The organization is based in the Washington, D.C. area,[citation needed] though its staff operates in various countries throughout the world.

The CIR's core activities include publication of its online journal, publication of special reports, hosting special events and awarding annual prizes for outstanding essays submitted by students.

[1] The International Affairs Forum is CIR's online journal, which publishes articles, opinion pieces and interviews.

It also maintains databases of organizations, blogs and institutions active in the sphere of international relations and economic policy studies.

[3] It publishes articles, editorials and links, in this case on topics such as classical music and politics, and culture as propaganda.